connect the dots
by silver moon droplet
Summary: kaixel: desire begins to take ahold, and danger starts to unfold.


big notes; ZOMG ZOMG ZOMG so in ohioville (this is where the lovely me residents) IT'S SNOWING LIKE HELL. YAY. I unlike my friend Dixie love the snow and Christmas so in honour of that tadaa. side notes; JUST so everyone is clear not all rich people cheat on their husband/wives as a matter of fact not even half. Shopping the day after Thanksgiving is SCARY as HELL. warnings MAJOR AND COMPLETE OUT OF CHARACTER AND AU-NESS AHEAD ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. Jabs at Michael Jackson, sexual st00f implied. MAJOR IMPLICATION of Axel being a man-whore – a super sexy man whore and SUPER DUPER OTHER THINGS THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE CHRISTMAS BUT CELEBRATE IT ANYWAYS WOULDN'T APPROVE OF. Let's face it folks, I'm going to hell in many different religions! YAY ME. and this is totally chaptered. so reviewwww. (& part of constance's prize fic - shh.) and kudos for noelle for beta-ing. 

Axel sneezed, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he powered walked down the street – there was snow everywhere. White flakes that children often threw at each other, or made snow angels. Axel hated the damn snow. It wasn't just the snow; it was the whole Christmas season, children getting all hyped up for some fucking fat guy to make his way down their chimneys– bullshit. Why fill their minds with more shit, someone needs to stop telling their children about Santa Claus and end the whole bit. Then there were the crazy Christmas shoppers, which were worse then moogles with rabies, buying their spoiled ass kids presents.

Of course, there was the cold weather that was added to the headache to the damn season, Axel was the only person who was pro global warming, just so there would be no more snow. No more cold, and more importantly no snot nose little brats to throw snowballs at him.

"Take that Scrooge!" yelled a little boy with blonde hair; that went in ever direction, he had blue eyes and was dressed like an angel. The demon was no angel, it happened every year – he and three of his snot nosed little fiends would chase Axel around town throwing snowballs at him. It all started three Christmas ago, when he had first seen the four children walking and loudly speaking about Santa Claus. There was three boys and a girl, they all came in different shapes and sizes, there was a tubby boy and two skinny boys – one was a head taller then the one, wearing camouflage. They were both blondes, the girl was much smaller then the three of them with funny shaped hair.

They all had one thing in common though: Axel hated them.

He despised children almost as much as he hated Christmas, they were so loud that he couldn't help, but over hear their conversation.

"Mum says Santy Claws is bringing me a Keyblade, just like Dad has!" the blonde boy grinned at his three other friends, they all laughed. A Keyblade? Probably a plastic one, his father must be one of the chums in the war – Axel shook his head, another reason to hate the boy. The Keyblade War had been going on for two years, against an Organization cleverly named Organization Thirteen, from what Axel understood they were all mental. They all had the disease know as 'heartless' where the victim believes they are without a heart, they killed people took their hearts and tried to insert into their chest. Not just any hearts however, they have to get the purest of pure – so mainly they just blow people up, trying to achieve Kingdom Hearts. Their leader Xemnas ranted about it, a lot – the feds still didn't know what the hell it was, Axel sighed. He hated the war, because why was it their business what a bunch of crazies did in their own district.

"Roxas, Santa _Clause_," said the girl. "Not Santy Claws." Did it really matter? Axel thought to himself, no matter the pronunciation there was no Santa Claus.

"Whateeever, Olette. He's still bringing me it!"

"No he isn't," Axel cut in, the four children all looked up at him. "Your mom is - she's just going to put Santa's name on it."

"What are you saying Mister?" the tubby one asked, he looked so confused, it made Axel sick.

"I'm saying there is no Santy Claws, kiddies – not one at all."

The four children gasped in shock, the girl started crying and the blonde glared at him. It was the other two children that jumped into action; they gathered up some snow on the ground and threw it at him. "Scrooge!" they screamed in anger, and the other two join in with them.

That was almost three years ago. As Axel wiped the snow off his arm, he noticed that the boy was by himself. The other three children no where to be seen, that's odd they were generally attached at the hip.

"You know it's Christmas, right, not Halloween." Axel said observing his choice of clothing.

The boy made a face. "It's my mum," he told Axel like he was telling his best friend, not the stranger he throws snowballs at. "She made me _sing_ in a _play_." His voice was filled with disgust, Axel chuckled, and he had to feel sorry for the monster. Nothing was worse to a young boy then being an angel in a play.

"It wasn't the end of the world, you know." Laughed his mother, Axel looked up – he blinked. She about his age, or younger – she was beautiful none the less, she had shoulder length auburn hair, fair skin and beautiful violet eyes. He was surprise the demon of the boy had such a young mother, a hot mother at that. She looked at Axel with a questioning look that said 'pedophiliac?' Axel shook his head, it seemed that everyone thought that – honestly couldn't a guy walk around with a kid without being called Michael Jackson.

"That's Scrooge, Mum." He said as if it explained everything, and apparently it did, because her face relaxed and she laughed. Axel wondered if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

"Sorry about Roxas, he's a little vengeful." She smiled, like she was proud of this or something.

"Just a tad, I'm Axel Chalmers – the guy that your son hunts every Christmas season." He ran a hand through his hair, getting the snow out of it.

"Kairi Dashwood, would you like to go inside?"

"NO WAY MUM, HE'S THE ENEMY!" Roxas yelled. "YOU CAN'T LET THE ENEMY COME ONTO MY TUFF!" Kairi gave him a look, and Roxas sighed. "Okay, YOUR turf, you're missing the point mum—"

"How about this, you let Mr. Chalmers come in," Axel hated the way she said Mr. Chalmers, it made him seem like an old man. "and I'll just forget about the Blitzball through the window accident." Wait – was she negotiating with him? Axel's mother just would have beat him silly, there would be no negotiating just doing. Then again Axel's mother was a drunk, and she wasn't as nice as Kairi was.

Roxas looked at Kairi then Axel, he sighed – running up to the apartment. "C'mon in Mister Scrooge—"

"Roxas, be polite."

"Fine…Mr. Ch—"

"Axel."

"For Pete sakes, I'm cold – get your butt up here so Mum will open the door!"

Kairi laughed, pulling her keys out of her purse. "Close enough." She was very laid back for a mother, yet Roxas seemed to be very not-monster-like with her. Their apartment was small, much smaller then his own. It had a living room, a Kitchen, a dinning room it seemed all in the same room, there was only one bedroom and one bathroom. It seemed kind of like a bachelor pad really, only much messier, there was papers here and there, and toys everywhere. Roxas headed off into the bedroom, so Axel assumed that it was his and his alone, when he shut the door. He wondered where Kairi and Mr. Dashwood slept.

"Sorry, haven't had the time to clean up." Kairi sighed, picking up toys here and there.

"Don't clean on my account, besides I like it, it looks like someone actually lives here." What a lame thing to say, where was his charm – wait, was he trying to flirt with her?

She had a _kid_ for god sakes and a husband somewhere among the mess.

She dropped all the stuff on the ground. "Thank Mickey, how about some coffee?" She went off into the kitchen before he could respond, pulling out two mugs and turning on the coffeepot. She rubbed her hands together, normally he'd put in some sort of line – but it felt wrong. It was wrong, it was awkward.

"So…where's Mr. Dashwood?"

She looked up her face filled with hurt, but quickly recovered with a smile. She was always smiling he realized, always. "He's in the war," Axel remembered that, the Keyblade Roxas wanted – just to be like his dad, but why was it so hard to believe coming from her. "Where's Mrs. Chalmers."

Axel snorted. What a question, he was at the fruit of his youth and marriage? Please, he had better things to do then commit to some girl when he could have them all. "There isn't one."

"Mr. Chalmers?"

"Straight and single."

"I find that hard to believe," she said returning to the kitchen, to pour coffee into his mug. She handed it to him, and his eyebrow raised no how many sugars or any other crap. He smirked, just the way he liked it. "You're an attractive young man, there has to be someone."

"So you think I'm attractive." He watched her blush, she was flirting with him? Axel closed his eyes, he did have principals after all. He just thought about Roxas in the other room, and Mr. Dashwood in the war. He opened his eyes and she was gone, he blinked – that was weird. Replaced with her was Roxas, who made a face as he put down the coffee. "Where'd your mom go?"

"She's closing the window; it's freezing in our room."

"Oh." He didn't even hear Roxas come in, or say anything – maybe she just kinda knew or was using Roxas to distract him. Why would she do that? He was over thinking this whole situation. Roxas pulled him back to reality by pulling on his arm; Axel looked at him.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked, he reminded Axel of himself when he was a little kid, always asking his big brother about everything.

"Why not, shoot kid."

"Do you like my mum?"

"Sure, she's a nice lady."

Roxas looked at him, he looked more like a father then a son. He sighed, like he had the whole world on his shoulders or something. "Look kid," who the hell did this little punk think he was talking to? Axel gritted his teeth and Roxas went on with a stern look on his face. "My mom is a great lady, and sometimes she brings guys home – sometimes, and they always leave. _Always_." He felt bad, he thought it was his fault, Axel's face soften. Poor kid. "They don't come back…ever…so if you do like my mom, DO something about alright. Dad won't mind, he wants her to be happy."

"You talk like your father is—"

"Roxas, Kairi I have food!" bellowed a young man. They both turned to him, he was younger then Axel – silver hair, that covered his face. He looked at Axel for a moment, and then went on. "Edible food not made by Kairi!"

Roxas laughed and ran to him, the young man picked him up. "Taking care of your Mum, little buddy?"

"Mm-hm."

"Stop making fun of my cooking skills, Riku!" Kairi came in punching him playfully on the arm. They seemed like one big happy family, one that Axel wasn't apart of, Axel chugged the rest of his coffee. "Go close the window would you?" She had spent all the time TRYING to close the window? He blinked, and Kairi just grinned sheepishly.

"I should go." He didn't know what to say, or do. Kairi's face looked hurt for a moment, he didn't do the whole family scene. It wasn't his thing, but there it was the plastic-like smile again, he'd wondered what kind of hurt she'd gone through.

"Stop by anytime you want! I should unwrap this – Riku would you show Axel out," she rushed to the kitchen.

Riku opened up the door for him, and Axel just gave him a nod. Riku didn't return the favor, he sighed and the door shut. He walked down the street and into the night, he was alone again – that wouldn't do at all.

"It is true what they say about you," giggled a girl that he couldn't remember the name of. She was drunk, and sitting in his lap – trying to make her way into his pants not that he was trying to stop her or anything. This is what he was used to, sailing the known waters with a different girl wanting the same thing. She was already trying to take off her top, screw going home – she wanted to do it here at Xiggy's, he rolled his eyes.

"What do they say?" he played along, but truthfully he was bored – he had her the minute he looked at her. He had her when he walked into the door, and quite frankly she was throwing herself on him – where was her dignity? Where was the challenge? She didn't notice his discomfort, or boredom – though the other girls did, they could spot it from miles away.

"Dudes, no sex on the bar, take it in the bathroom or something." Xigbar told them, he was a good friend of Axel's – not to mention the owner of the place.

"And get unknown STDS? No thanks." The girl seemed to think he was talking about her, because she got off him and stumbled out.

Xigbar snickered. "You better go after her."

"I'd rather not."

He rolled with laughter as if Axel had released laughing gas or something. "As if! Charmers deny a good time? Not possible."

"Possible, and happening get me a drink." Xigbar stared at him for awhile, Axel finally got fed up with it. "What?"

"Dude, I think you're sick or something…" he got something Axel hadn't drank in a long time, an apple martini. He raised his eyebrow at it, but chugged it none the less. It really didn't matter, in the end he'd always be alone, because the girls only ever came for one thing. Maybe it was the only he wanted from them, he certainly didn't want some rugrat running around or marriage. What the hell is thinking? Maybe Xigbar was right, maybe he was ill – or something. Yeah, that's it, he's got a damn cold from standing outside.

"I'm going to crash at your place…" he yawned.

"Whatever, just don't bang Tifa."

"As if."

They both laughed, and Axel went upstairs. Ever since Xigbar had opened Xiggy's, Axel spent most of his time there. Picking up girls, taking them home – at one time Xigbar kept count, after awhile he gave up. Axel was the king of his game, and he always would be. There wasn't a girl he couldn't have, he'd seen it all and done it twice. There was however one girl that he wouldn't touch and that was Tifa, Tifa had married Xigbar straight out of high school. She was completely and totally off limits, and Axel respected that – mainly because during the cold season, Axel did not want to sleep in his truck. He'd lived on his own since he was eighteen, it was just him and sometimes Xigbar and Tifa. Christmas was about family, spending time with the ones you loved and ruining the closet thing you have to a best-friend's didn't count. Sure, the rabid Christmas shoppers and Santy Claws was a pain, but it was mostly the thing that Axel didn't have a family. He shut his eyes tightly, Axel didn't do self pity of all things he despised that the most.

It was a few days later, and all the more closer to Christmas when he saw Roxas again – only this time he was hit with snowballs by his friends, he noted as he cursed loudly at them, that Roxas didn't throw anything at him. It made him smile, until the other blonde hit him in the head with a snowball – then he was just pissed. He threw some more curses at the children, then ran off to work – he couldn't afford to be late again. He worked at The Golden Heart – a snotty, romantic hot spot for rich guys to take their much younger dates or rich women. Axel hated it, but it paid well, and they tipped very well. So he put up for it, besides he needed money to put in the bank. Despite his living conditions, and his mooching tendencies – Axel was well off, he put it all in a bank for a rainy day. Not really, he was just saving for the sake of saving. He and his co-worker Yuffie made bets on if the date was the wife/husband of that said person.

Yuffie was a hyper-active ninja, she was graceful and got hit on constantly. It's generally how the found out if the rich guy was married, if they hit on her subtlety then he was with his wife – if not date.

"Pink haired fiend!" Yuffie chimed.

He looked around; he spotted the couple immediately after all how hard could it be to spot a guy with pink hair. He was a young girl with blonde hair, she was pale, and looked almost fragile in her elegant white dress – she reminded him of Kairi. Though Kairi was always laughing, she seemed very sad, the way Kairi should be but wasn't. He grabbed a plate from Yuffie and put it on his serving table. "Date for sure," and because Yuffie was Yuffie, she challenged it. Axel rolled his eyes, going back to the cook to pick up a French dish that he couldn't pronounce.

"Bye Axel!" Yuffie laughed, watching the poor sap wonder straight out into the cold. It was the end of the day, and it was freezing – Axel sighed. He wondered if Xigbar was walking his shift or was it the new kid…what's-his-face. He ignored the people in their black cloaks and their scheming faces, and they let him take the short cut home. It was a fair deal, considering he was standing on the outskirts of what the government was trying to get rid of. Axel ignored the fact he was committing treason, and the fact that the government was protecting the very thing they were trying to get rid of. He walked to Xiggy's grimly, the fucking snow had to go and make him sick, that fact that he was never bundled up had nothing to do with it. It was all the snow's fault. It hated him, he hated it more. So much more.

When he walked into Xiggy's he wasn't surprised to see the usual guys around and the occasions date or two. He sighed, taking his seat at the bar – scaring the crap out of the new guy. Xigbar had hired this kid awhile ago, he was tall, blonde and had a mullet for hair. Axel and Xigbar often made jokes about it, until Tifa would scream at them – but today he wasn't in the mood.

"The Usual?" he seemed in a good mood, Axel nodded, it was coming and he didn't want to talk to the peppy blonde haired who probably adored Christmas. The dude just didn't seem to get it, he gave Axel his drink with a grin then made small talk. "So what are you doing for Christmas?" Axel gave him the-you-idiot-i-hate-you-quit-talking-to-me look.

"Nothing."

"Really?" he sounded genuinely surprised. "That's a shame Axy!" Axel cringed at the nickname, he got that from Tifa. She was always dubbing him something else to tick him off, and of course it just had to catch on.

"What are you doing?" he gritted his teeth, he wasn't in the mood for this, he zoned out as the kid went on about what he was doing for Christmas. His thoughts drifted back to Roxas and Kairi, he wondered if Mr. Dashwood was back yet. He could picture a big meal on the table, the three of them together – eating happily. Then making cookies just because, Mr. Dashwood telling stories about the distant places he'd been to Roxas. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the person tapping on his back.

"I didn't know you came here, Axel." He took a seat next to him, Axel watched as he ordered a drink. How could he not, everyone who came here more than once, knew it. "Your specialty, Demyx." That's right, Axel remembered now his name was Demyx, what was it that Xigbar always called him? Sitar-hero? Axel couldn't remember. He turned to Axel, and he sighed, "Listen, I want to make this very clear – I don't like you."

"You want a prize or a gee-wily-Riku why not, I don't give a shit what the hell you think about me." It felt good to get all his rage out at one person.

"But Kairi does," Axel stared at him, what was he getting at? "You're a man-whore, Axel, Kairi doesn't need that…"

"I'm so happy you can decide what she needs…and what she wants." Axel chugged down his drink, who did this little shit think he was – coming on to his turf and telling him what Kairi needed and that he wasn't good enough for her. Riku sighed in response, Axel rolled his eyes – this kid just didn't get the hint.

"Okay wise-ass, she likes you – Roxas likes you, and that doesn't happen too often." Riku gritted his teeth, apparently Axel had struck a nerve, and he knew that feeling too well.

"Sora was her husband, and my best friend – it's my job to take care of them, since he's gone…" Axel wondered why he said gone, gone as in – dead? He remembered what Roxas said, that he wouldn't mind – so he died…it made sense in a way. That's why Kairi seemed so sad, she was a widow – all alone raising a kid that must be hard. He shouldn't get anymore involved then he was, one bad impression and he might break them before he even left. Riku got it; he knew Axel's reputation, so he was setting things straight.

"Kids aren't my fancy, so no need to worry." Axel paid Demyx, and got the hell out of there.

It was a cold night, but despite that Axel found himself shivering on a curb, he could be some nice warm house if he just stood up. But he didn't, he sat all alone on the eve of Christmas Eve, with nowhere to go. He tried to remember the last Christmas he had spent with his family, but that was so long ago. It was long before the war, long before his father had left and his mother had become a drunk. Long before his sister cried at night, and his brother would disappear – Axel closed his eyes tightly, it had been a very long time. It was times like these where he wished he had somewhere to be, not at the bar or at work – just somewhere.

Anywhere, but here.

"Hey Mum, it's Axel." Roxas pointed to him, and Axel looked up. Kairi had a bundle of groceries, and even the monster had a bag. Axel shrugged, he just happened to be sitting on their curb didn't mean he should care or help, besides he told Riku he wouldn't get involved. That didn't stop Roxas for that matter, who sat down next to Axel. "HEY SCROOGE YOU HEAR ME?" he yelled as loud as he could.

"Roxas!" Kairi scowled him, but she wouldn't look at Axel. She put both of her bags on the steps with a sigh, hands on her hips. "That's no way to greet someone, now apologize."

"No, it's okay." Axel faked a smile, he never had to do that – but it came so easily onto his face. He wasn't into faking, or acting – or lying. But here he was, doing just that. Kairi just stared at him, this was as big as Helen Keller signing for water was – it seemed.

"Do you want help with that?"

Fuck Riku. Fuck principles.

Kairi needed this, and Axel was there – it could work, all she needed to do was say yes. It would matter more, so much more. "Sure." She smiled, handing him a bag and Roxas gave Axel his. He had no idea what he was getting into – but he was sure he could handle it and if not….well, he wasn't going to think about that.

END OF CHAPTER ONE.


End file.
